When I was living up in Whangarei I normally did better than a lot of the boaties I knew.
Moving to the Naki has been hard to get use to but I have caught 2 of my biggest LB snaps @ 7 and 8kg It's been a long time since i have gone out and caught nothing (although eels red cod and sharks seam to be caught a lot of the time). I had a work fishing comp 2 weeks ago and I did better than all the boaties on Snapper 5 LB, best on a boat was 4 between two of them. they bet me on species but snapper was the main target. I wouldn't right off boat fishing but as you say peoples perceptions of land based fishing is all wrong and until I catch a snapper over 20lb from the shore, boats and Kayaks will not interest me.
My wife gave me the OK to buy a boat 6 months ago to which I replied not until the kids are old enough, learnt the art of fishing from the beach and I have caught a 20lb fish, will I buy a boat. Since then she has been real good on letting me go fishing.